Latest Reports

The U.S. Border Patrol's annual report had some startling apprehension statistics, but the report was taken down hours after it was posted online last month, leading some to wonder if the midterm elections played a part in the decision.

More than 57,000 unaccompanied children have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border since October. This FAQ explains what happens to those children between the time they’re apprehended and the time they’re put into the system.

James F. Tomsheck’s removal was designed to sooth critics who say the agency has been too soft on misconduct, abuse and corruption. But his supporters say he is a scapegoat for a broken and byzantine hierarchy.

Despite pledges from the Obama administration for greater transparency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has kept secret a potentially embarrassing independent report on how the agency deals with shootings and other violent incidents.

The Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general blacked out a call for U.S. Border Patrol agents to hold back from shooting migrants and suspected drug runners who throw rocks and other objects at them that don’t pose a deadly threat.

CIR has been trying for more than three years to obtain accurate, detailed mapping data of the border fence system but has been rebuffed repeatedly by federal officials. But how secret is a 10-foot-tall metal fence that runs along golf courses and through major cities?

Citing a CIR report, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer has announced a new bill to implement standards at Customs and Border Protection facilities, including Border Patrol stations, to ensure humane detention conditions.